And what of Draco? (decidedly long)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 133186

Geoff:

And what of Draco?

I have always tended to dislike Draco because he is arrogant, 
dismissive of those he considers below him, feels that his pure blood 
family gives him status and has a vicious streak in him.

But I wrote in message 129690:

"I have always had a sneaking sympathy for Draco because I feel that 
many of his less pleasant traits have been shaped by his background.

Perhaps my sympathy has been aroused by a quote from C S Lewis, – the 
opening sentence of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (if I quote from 
memory correctly) reads "There was a boy whose parents named him 
Eustace Clarence Scrubb and he almost deserved it." An epithet which 
could almost cover our Slytherin friend!

I have always held to the view that Draco /could/ move towards the 
side of light. As an evangelical Christian, I believe that no person 
is irredeemable unless by their actions and mindset, they finally 
make themselves so."

So, what about Draco in HBP?

What is he facing?

`"Certainly," said Snape. "But what help do you require, Narcissa? If 
you are imagining I can persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, I 
am afraid there is no hope, none at all."
"Severus," she whispered, tears sliding down her pale cheeks. "My 
son
 my only son..."
"Draco should be proud," said Bellatrix indifferently. "The Dark Lord 
is granting him a great honour. And I will say this for Draco: he 
isn't shrinking away from his duty, he seems glad of a chance to 
prove himself, excited at the prospect – "
Narcissa began to cry in earnest, gazing beseechingly all the while 
at Snape.
"That's because he is sixteen and has no idea what lies in store! 
Why, Severus? Why my son? It is too dangerous! This is vengeance for 
Lucius' mistake, I know it!"'

(HBP "Spinner's End" p.38 UK edition)

`When Snape said nothing, Narcissa seemed to lose what little self-
restraint she still possessed. Standing up, she staggered to Snape 
and seized the front of his robes. Her face close to his, her tears 
falling on his chest, she gasped, "You could do it. /You/ could do it 
instead of Draco, Severus. You would succeed, of course you would, 
and he would reward you beyond all of us –"
Snape caught hold of her wrists and removed her clutching hands. 
Looking down into her tear-stained face, he said slowly, "He intends 
me to do it in the end, I think. But he is determined that Draco 
should try first. You see, in the unlikely event that Draco succeeds, 
I shall be able to remain at Hogwarts a little longer, fulfilling  my 
useful role as spy."
"In other words, it doesn't matter to him if Draco is killed."'

(ibid. p.39)

I have to confess that, on my first reading I completely misread this 
as the planning of an attack on Harry. The penny dropped much later 
that we were eavesdropping on a scheme to remove Dumbledore. But it 
is an interesting take on how Draco is viewed. Obviously Narcissa is 
devoted to him but it looks as if Voldemort and company view him as 
dispensable.

Initially, things look fairly normal on the Potter-Malfoy scene. 
There is a strong exchange of words between them at Madam Malkin's 
which leads to an exchange of words between Harry and Narcissa when 
she makes one or two subtle remarks


`Narcissa Malfoy smiled unpleasantly.
"I see that being Dumbledore's favourite has given you a false sense 
of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to 
protect you."

...

"Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!" Malfoy snarled.
"It's all right, Draco," said Narcissa, restraining him with he thin 
white fingers upon his shoulder. "I expect Potter will be reunited 
with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."'

("HBP "Draco's Detour" p.111 UK edition)

Narcissa letting her knowledge leak?

And, then of course there is Draco's vicious attack on Harry when the 
Hogwarts Express reaches Hogsmeade at the very end of Chapter 7 "The 
Slug Club".

At this point, I thought "Oh dear, he is going down the wrong route 
for certain."

But, as the story unfolds, he is obviously troubled – perhaps by 
conscience, perhaps by fears for his life and there are several 
little indicators that Draco is not a happy chappie.

`"Conditions look ideal," said Ginny, ignoring Ron. "And guess what? 
That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey – he took a Bludger in the head 
yesterday during their practice and he's too sore to play! And even 
better than that – Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

Very odd – for Draco.

(HBP "Felix Felicis" p.275 UK edition)

`The ghost of a girl had risen out of the toilet in a cubicle behind 
them and was now floating in midair, staring at them through thick, 
white, round glasses.
"Oh," she said glumly, "It`s you two"
"Who were you expecting?" said Ron, looking at her in the mirror.
"Nobody," said Myrtle, picking moodily at a spot on her chin. "He 
said he'd come back and see me but then you said you'd pop in and 
visit me too
"

...

"But I thought he liked me," she said plaintively. "Maybe if you two 
left, he'd come back again
 we had lots in common
 I'm sure he felt 
it..."
And she looked hopefully towards the door.
"When you say you had lots in common," said Ron, sounding rather 
amused now, "d'you mean he lives in an S-bend too?"
"No," said Myrtle defiantly, her voice echoing around the old, tiled 
bathroom. "I  mean he's sensitive, people bully him too and he feels 
lonely and hasn't got anybody to talk to, and he's not afraid to show 
his feelings and cry!"
"There's been a boy in here crying?" said Harry curiously. "A young 
boy?"
"Never you mind" said Myrtle..."'

(HBP "The Unknowable Room" pp.432-33 UK edition)

Curiouser and curiouser (said Alice)

`"Ah well," said Slughorn cheerily, "as we're so few, we'll do 
something /fun/. I want you all to brew me up something amusing!"
"That sounds good, sir," said Ernie sycophantically, rubbing his 
hands together. Malfoy, on the other hand, did not crack a smile.
"What do you mean, something `amusing'?" he said irritably.
"Oh surprise me," said Slughorn airily.
Malfoy opened his copy of Advanced Potion Making with a sulky 
expression. It could not have been plainer that he thought this 
lesson a waste of time. Undoubtedly, Harry thought, watching him over 
the top of his own book, Malfoy was begrudging the time he could 
otherwise be spending in the Room of Requirement.
Was if his imagination, or did Malfoy, like Tonks, look thinner? 
Certainly he looked paler; his skin still had that greyish tinge, 
probably because he so rarely saw daylight these days. But there was 
no air of smugness or excitement or superiority; none of the swagger 
that he had on the Hogwarts Express...'

(HBP "After the Burial" pp.443-44 UK edition)

Not the Draco we know and love methinks....

`Outside the bathroom, he pressed his ear against the door. He 
couldn't hear anything. He very quietly pushed the door open.
Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands 
clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed.
"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the 
cubicles. "Don't... tell me what's wrong''' I can help you..."
"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I 
can't do it... I can't... it won't work... and unless I do it soon
 
he says he'll kill me..."
And Harry realised, with a shock so huge that it seemed to root him 
to the spot that Malfoy was crying – actually crying – tears 
streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin.'

(HBP "Sectumsempra" p.488 UK edition)

Then, finally, there is the scene between Draco and Dumbledore which 
is far too long to quote verbatim – pp.545-556 UK edition  "The 
Lightning-Struck Tower" - when Draco threatens to kill Dumbledore and 
when Dumbledore asks him to discuss his options, he replies that he 
has none otherwise he and his family will be killed. Dumbledore 
offers sanctuary but before things can move further, the Death Eaters 
arrive and the opportunity passes.

Draco is alternating between wanting to "be one of the big boys", 
doubting whether he can bring himself to kill and also fearing the 
consequences. So, perhaps there is still a window of opportunity for 
him to come to the right side although that window seems to be 
closing as he remains under the influence of Voldemort's followers.

Might we just see something in Book 7? Probably not a rapprochement 
with Harry but maybe a truce, a nod in the direction of good?

In the light of the events which have hit London in the last few 
days, I see something in the way in which Draco is treated as echoing 
the real life situation of those young men who, brainwashed and 
seduced to the dark, thought it to be in a right cause to destroy 
themselves and possibly their souls and also bring death, injury and 
pain to so many around them. There is a parallel between these events 
and those instigated by Voldemort who cannot see anything other than 
his own perverted and evil ends and cares little even for those who 
follow him unless they bring him success.

As a side issue, there is still the unresolved question of the "good 
Slytherin". Nott was noticed in converse with Draco in the book so 
does this cancel some of his Brownie points?